How to make a candle from wood. Finnish candle: a safe, long-lasting fire

A Scandinavian or Finnish candle is a very common fire design among experienced hunters, fishermen and lovers of outdoor activities. This design good because it is represented by one single vertically installed log. Moreover, such a fire is ideal for cooking.

1. Make a Finnish candle with an ax

For this method you will need an ax and a log with even fibers without knots. First, we split the log into 6-8 logs. The wedge of each log is cut off with an ax so that when reassembly it turned out to be a tube. We lay out the logs in a “daisy” pattern, take the wire and put the log back together. The wire will hold the entire structure. The chain left over from the logs can be used to kindle a Finnish candle.

2. Make a Finnish candle with a chainsaw

One of the most simple ways. We take our chainsaw and divide the log into 6 segments, making cuts approximately 2/3 of the height of the piece of wood. That's all that needs to be done before ignition. All that remains is to place some dry wood chips in the very center and set it on fire. The only “but” is that there is not so much fuel to fit into such a Scandinavian candle. Therefore, you can add a little gasoline directly from the saw’s tank.

3. Make a Finnish candle with a drill

Here we need a feather drill for wood with a diameter of 20-30 mm. The length of the drill must exceed 2/3 of the height of the log. First, drill one hole exactly in the middle. After this, another side hole needs to be made so that it connects with the first one made along the core of the log. Lighting such a candle does not cause any difficulties.

How the candles burn

If a Finnish candle was made with an ax or chainsaw, then it will burn very quickly and will give off a lot of heat and fire. This candle will burn out in about 3-5 hours. There is no fundamental difference between fires created by the first two (described here) methods. Another thing is the Finnish candle, created by drilling. This will burn almost twice as long, but the heat will be less. The latter also flares up the slowest.

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Continuing the hiking theme to the delight of the traveler.

The main advantage of such a fire is that you don’t have to worry about it, even if there is dirt and slush around. In winter, you don’t have to worry that the snow under the fire will begin to melt and thereby extinguish the fire. Finally, a “Finnish candle” is safer than a regular fire in places where there is a lot of dry grass and leaves. Finally, such a fire can simply be moved from place to place. The “candle” will burn all night, and it will only require one log. And the shape of the fire is such that it is convenient to use when cooking - after all, pots or a kettle can simply be placed on top of a log, like on a burner.

How to make a “Finnish candle”

In order to make a “Finnish candle”, you need to have a log 30-50 cm thick, as well as a saw. The height of the log is not that important. The cut is made approximately three-quarters deep. Most often they cut into 4, 6 or 8 parts. After this, a small hole will appear in the log. Kindling will be placed and lit in it.

If you don’t have a saw at hand (and most likely you won’t have one on a hike), you can use an ax. In this case, it will be more difficult to make such a fire. The log needs to be split into four parts with an ax. Each piece will have to be ground down in the middle so that when they are put together, a hole will form. After this, all that remains is to tie the logs with a strong rope, or better yet, with wire.

Finally, a “candle” can be made by simply stacking several logs side by side. Each should be 5-15 cm thick. Uses 3 to 8 pieces of wood.

A spoon of tar

Finally, it is worth mentioning the disadvantages of the “Finnish candle”. Preparing such a fire requires a certain skill and experience. Also, as has already become clear, you need tools. " Finnish candle» not very good for heating. You also need to take into account the fact that if the fire has been extinguished, then lighting it again will be extremely problematic, almost impossible. It’s easier to prepare a new candle.

A Swedish or Finnish candle is a simple and convenient alternative to a tripod with a pot or even a stationary outdoor stove.

Let's talk about something so simple, but very effective method build a fire, a real torch for lighting and cooking, like Swedish candle. This method has other names: “ Finnish Primus", "hunting candle", "Indian candle", "Canadian torch". The option is simple, but very interesting.

How to make a Finnish Primus

The Finnish primus does not require candles at all! All that is required to create a Swedish candle is a suitable piece of log or log.

The wood for such an original hearth can be anything. According to reviews, pine and spruce are often used as the most available options, however, these woods do spark when burning, so care should be taken. Birch burns very strongly and produces smoke. But the aspen - perfect tree for a Swedish candle.

A piece of wood about half a meter high is required, although sometimes a log is taken a little higher or lower. The main thing is that it is level and can stand vertically. The diameter of the log can be from 10 to 40 cm.

The size of the log depends on the purpose for which you will use it. If you want to cook food over an open fire, you should take a log that is thicker, but relatively short and stable. A taller, but thinner log is suitable for lighting; it can be moved if necessary.

Important! The piece of log must be dry! A wet log burns very poorly, smokes a lot, and most likely you won’t be able to light a fire at all.

The logs are cut using a chainsaw. You can use a regular saw, but the process will be much longer and you will have to put in more effort. The cuts should be approximately three-quarters of the log's height. They are made crosswise. It's very similar to cutting a cake, the pieces on top look exactly like this.

How many cuts to make is up to you. Four is the minimum, you can do six or eight. Remember that the more cuts you make, the faster your log will burn!

To start the combustion process, we recommend pouring a little gasoline into the center of the cuts and then setting it on fire. A Swedish candle burns much more economically than a regular fire. It burns for a long time, the flame is even, and you can put a kettle, pot, or frying pan on top of the log. You will definitely have time to cook food on a live fire.

The second way to make a Swedish candle is to saw and split the block of wood completely into four parts. The core is removed a little so that there is empty space inside. Then the four logs are folded back into one log, secured, and wrapped with wire. In this case, sawdust can be placed in the hole in the center, which will serve as kindling.

Making a Swedish candle or a Finnish primus stove yourself is very simple, although you can buy blanks already cut if you are going into nature and are not sure that you can find a suitable log in the forest.

A simple but convenient fire that burns brightly and for a long time can be built on any flat area; sometimes the log is placed on stones or other support.

Even barbecue is prepared with the help of a Swedish or taiga candle. We are sure that you will appreciate this option for creating a fireplace, especially if you often go out into nature. However, during a picnic in your own yard, you can also surprise guests with this method of making a fire. published

If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to the experts and readers of our project.

How to light a fire on vacation when there is a shortage of firewood. A log fire can perform more than one function, for example, lighting, heating, cooking, repelling animals and insects. In addition, this type of fire, such as a wood-burning primus (other names: Indian, Swedish, Finnish candle) replaces a tripod for a cauldron.

You can’t dry things by such a fire, but you can cook both the first and second courses, as they say, on “one fuse.”

How to light a fire

Before making a primus from a log, prepare a saw, wire and log.

Find a dry log with a diameter of 10 - 40 cm without knots. The tree can be anything, just keep in mind that each type has its own characteristics. For example, spruce and pine sparkle when burned, so it is better not to use them for heating. You need to be careful with birch, because it burns very strongly, you can get burned, and it smokes a little due to the tar in the bark. Best option- well-dried aspen. When burning, its flame is even and colorless.

Trim the log depending on its purpose (15 - 40 cm). If you will be lighting a fire for cooking, use a log that is thick and short so that you can place the dishes directly on it. The candle will be stable. For lighting, on the contrary, a long and thin candle that can be carried if necessary will be convenient. And for heating you need a thick and long one so that for a long time burn.

Split a dry log into four pieces. These will later be used to make a fire.

In each part, remove the middle so that when assembling the log you get a hole with a diameter of 5 - 7 cm, and make small notches. Perfect option, if you find a hollow tree. After cutting or splitting, you will need to scrape out the rotten middle of the hollow.

Fold 4 logs into a single log, wrapping them with wire, trying to leave as few gaps as possible. This will prevent them from falling apart and quickly burning through large gaps.

This way you should end up with a solid log with an empty middle.

Place the sawdust that remains after cutting off the middle or birch bark into the resulting ignition hole. The filling of a wooden kerosene stove and its location affects the degree of combustion. Located at the top of the hole, birch bark will burn for a long time, only weakly. This candle is more suitable for warming up food or for heating. Well, if you put the birch bark on the bottom, the fire will be very strong, which is good for cooking or lighting, but the candle will not last long. The best option is its location in the middle. Also make sure that there is draft for combustion. To do this, place the candle on stones or logs.

Now you can use the fire, which will be very convenient for cooking. Convenience lies in the ability to adjust the strength of the flame by blocking the access of air from below with a lid, earth, etc.

Food will cook in hot smoke because the fire will smolder from the inside rather than burn.

Also, blocking the air (bottom and top) serves to extinguish the candle if it is no longer needed, and then reuse it if necessary. Basically, a candle is enough for several meal preparations.

We hope these tips on how to start a fire help you.

Many tourists, hunters and fishermen, in order to boil water at a rest stop, had to decide how to light a fire in windy weather. More than once or twice they thought about how to make it so that they did not have to constantly adapt to the changing wind, placing firewood on the right side, or moving a stick with a pot hanging on it. And the way out of this situation is not difficult. It is enough to light a “Finnish candle”.

This memorable name hides a whole group of wood structures that allow you to warm up and cook food in hiking conditions with sufficient comfort. The ability to make a Finnish candle, both among tourists and among hunters, fishermen and simply lovers of outdoor recreation, is not common. Let's try to fix this. So, let's start.

Today there are many names for this method of making a fire:

• Finnish candle;
• Swedish candle;
• Indian candle;
• hunting candle;
• wooden primus stove.

Underneath them are hidden fires that are fundamentally similar in design, built inside a specially prepared chock or between several combined chocks standing vertically.

Application area

Such options are suitable for both cooking and heating.

Moreover, a full-fledged fire can be lit even with a lack of fuel, sometimes making do with just one log.

This long-lasting fire withstands windy weather well, it is quite compact, economical, does not require the installation of additional devices for cooking and can withstand precipitation quite well. Since even heavy rain, with the pot on the fire, will not be able to extinguish it.

During its use, many changes were made to the design, depending on the conditions of use. The classic “Finnish Candle” fire originally consisted of a log split into two halves, which were then fastened together in places where they were chipped using wire, rope or other available materials. Over time, for better combustion, the chock was no longer split into two halves, but into more parts. Then, instead of splitting, they began to make cuts and even assemble a fire from several logs pressed vertically against each other.

How to make a Finnish candle

First of all, you need to decide on the design. This depends on several factors:

• the presence of thick logs at the resting place and good tools;
• the presence of wire for tying thin logs and split logs;
• soil composition;
• number of people in the group;
• the need to dry things.

Almost all options are divided into two groups according to manufacturing method:

• from one fairly thick piece of wood;
• from several logs with a smaller diameter.

Now let's proceed directly to manufacturing.

Solid block with cuts

To do this, take a piece of wood with a diameter of 20 cm. We make cuts in it so that we get several lobes. Usually their number ranges from two to eight. Then, in the center of the log, using wood chips and available materials, a fire is lit. To do this, you can lightly chop off the central parts of the lobes.

Gradually the fire spreads down the cuts. The fewer cuts, the longer the combustion, the more of them, the hotter the fire. The cuts are made to a depth of up to 3/4 of the height. Oxygen penetrates through the cuts to the combustion site. Over time, this version of the Finnish candle burns out top part middle, and the open fire turns into smoldering. After this, cooking will be quite difficult, but for heating it will be quite suitable.

Split Wood

This option is very similar to the first. In it, all parts of the initially chopped lump are tightly connected with wire to each other. First, the central parts of the lobes are slightly planed. This will provide enough wood chips for ignition and create channels for air draft. After this, the parts of the chock are tightly tied together with wire, starting from the middle.

You need to tighten the bottom especially carefully, otherwise your fire will fall apart as it burns out. You can also use rope instead of wire, but this option is less reliable. Please note one nuance: unlike sawn wood, the chips are pressed very tightly. There is practically no fire coming through the sides, so this option cannot be used as a heater. But it burns longer without disintegrating, it can be moved quite easily from place to place if necessary, and it has a fairly strongly directed flame.

Chock with two holes

As the name suggests, a couple of holes are made in a vertically standing block. One from top to bottom, to the same length as the cuts in the first option, at 3/4 of the height. The other is at right angles to the first at a height of 1/4 from the bottom of the block, so that the holes are connected.

You can ignite both through the top hole and through the bottom. This method is the most effective for cooking, but also the most difficult to make due to the need to use additional tool.

Assembly of thin logs

The option will do in the absence of a tool. In this case, three to five logs are placed on their ends and tied in a vertical position.

Such a stove is easier to manufacture and ignites much easier, which is important if you have insufficient experience.

The first three options require a log with a diameter of 20 to 30 centimeters. Large diameters are not advisable. The height should be approximately two times the diameter. With this ratio of diameter and height, your hearth will be the most stable.

Now let’s take a closer look at perhaps the most important issue. How to light a fire, which is described above. Even for experienced tourists, this problem will arise during their first attempts. How can you make a Finnish candle burn faster? Yes, very simple. It is enough to remember the elementary laws of nature:

• the flame burns only if there is a sufficient supply of oxygen;
• heated air always tends upward.

Therefore, for successful combustion it is necessary to ensure that these two conditions are met. Namely, there must be at least a small gap between the parts of the chopped wood so that the flame moves freely upward, and there must be a free flow of air from below. This can be achieved in the following ways:

• slightly cut off the central parts of the chopped logs with a knife or an ax;
• using available means (for example, stones or a pair of thin sticks) raise the fire above the ground;
• chop off the lower parts of at least two adjacent parts so that a small channel for air flow is formed into the center of the fire.

The second option is not very successful, since a fire lit in this way will not be stable enough.

Cooking

Finally, let's move on to the most “delicious” part. How to cook on a Finnish candle? It turns out that it’s also nothing complicated. Any cookware that can withstand cooking over a fire will do.

But we must not forget that the fire must be provided with a way out. If you place a saucepan or kettle directly on the chock, the fire will stop burning normally and the water will not boil. This issue can be resolved in the following way:

• place a stand on top of the log in the form of two freshly cut sticks up to 5 cm thick;
• When assembling, two or three parts of your candle should be higher than the rest by the same distance.

In the second case, this can be achieved different ways. If we assemble a candle from several thin logs, then in advance, when cutting, two of them are made longer than the others. When placed vertically, they will provide the necessary gap between the dishes and the surface. Or, when assembling, you can move two logs slightly upward compared to the rest. You can do the same in the case of chopped logs. This method allows you to simultaneously provide two channels for air supply from below. And the fire will burn more steadily and hotter.

Happy travels!